Dale Erdey (R) (Elected to State Senate District 13)
Term limited in 2011
District Map

2002 Senate Race (Runoff)
Mary Landrieu (D) 3,605 (32%)
Suzy Terrell (R) 7,829 (68%)

2003 Governors Race (Runoff)
Kathleen Blanco (D) 4,976 (38%)
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 8,056 (62%)

2004 Presidential Race
George W. Bush (R) 14,556 (79%)
John Kerry (D) 3,661 (20%)
Others 142 (1%)

2004 Senate Race
David Vitter (R) 12,211 (70%)
Chris John (D) 2,576 (15%)
Others 2,730 (15%)

2006 Secretary of State Race
Jay Dardenne (R) 4,180 (59%)
Francis Heitmeier (D) 1,113 (16%)
Mike Francis (R) 1,230 (17%)
Mary Chehardy (R) 284 (4%)
Others 291 (4%)

2007 Governors Race
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 8,910 (70%)
Walter Boasso (D) 1,442 (11%)
John Georges (I) 1,054 (8%)
Foster Campbell (D) 1,286 (10%)
Others 124 (1%)

2007 Agriculture Commissioner Race
“Bob” Odom (D) 3,754 (30%)
Mike Strain (R) 5,952 (48%)
Wayne Carter (R) 2,109 (17%)
Don Johnson (R) 552 (4%)

District 71 is located in the heart of Livingston Parish and is a good example of the effects of suburbanization on a formerly populist Democratic constituency. It has for years been located entirely in Livingston Parish, and currently includes the towns of Denham Springs, Walker, and Livingston along Highway 190, as well as the suburban neighborhoods sprouting along I-12. Not only is it the second whitest state House district in the state (with a 4% African-American voter population) but its 10% growth rate makes one of the fastest growing state House district in Louisiana.

This rapid increase in population has naturally impacted the district’s political preferences. Historically, Livingston Parish could be counted on to support populist candidates at the federal, state, and local level. After supporting Jimmy Carter’s re-election in the face of the 1980 Reagan landslide. suburban migration from Baton Rouge due to a busing order enabled Reagan and Bush to receive over 60% of the vote in Livingston Parish in 1984 and 1988. Livingston Parish continued supporting Republican Presidential candidates during the Clinton years, then gave George W. Bush 68% of the vote in 2000 and a whopping 77% of the vote in 2004 – his second best performance in Louisiana’s 64 parishes.

These demographic changes also began to show up in statewide and local elections. Even though in recent statewide races, Republicans could count on about 70% support here (Bobby Jindal’s 62% of the vote was low for a Republican), Democrats used to have little trouble holding this seat. Julius Blount served here for 4 terms until his retirement in 1988. Bernard Carrier succeeded him and served two terms. But the Republican migration began to reach a critical mass. Though Rep. Carrier was unopposed in his 1991 re-election race, a Republican came within 100 votes of making the 1987 runoff, and Livingston Alderman Clo Fontenot upset Rep. Carrier 52-48% in the 1995 primary. This was not an isolated incident, as Republicans in neighboring legislative districts were also elected that year in the same “Republican surge” helped elect a Republican governor.

As further evidence of the Republican trend here, when Clo Fontenot left in 1999 to run successfully for a vacant state Senate seat, he was succeeded by Republican Dale Erdey, who defeated a Democratic trial attorney in the runoff with 61% of the vote. Erdey was unopposed when he sought re-election in 2003. Since Erdey’s re-election, the Democratic voter registration edge has further narrowed from 45-33% to 38-36% - a significant change in four years.

Though Representative Erdey is term-limited in 2011, state senator Clo Fontenot decided right before filing not to seek another term. Rep. Erdey quickly jumped into the race and was elected without opposition. We see this seat as a Republican hold as Republican voters from East Baton Rouge Parish (and lately the New Orleans area) continue to move here – 61% of new voters since 2003 have registered Republican, and the rest have registered Independent. Five candidates are seeking the seat: attorney Brian Abels, Livingston Economic Development Council executive John Ware, Livingston Mayor Derral Jones, Louisiana School Executives Association director Rogers Pope, and retired district fire chief Al Comeaux. All but Comeaux are Republicans.